Thanks for all of the wonderful comments on the last chapter. Here's another one for all of you.
Chapter 29.
In the morning, the team rushed to the hospital, without stopping for breakfast. A quick cup of coffee at home and they were off.
Jacob was awake when they entered his room.
"We're going to have to take some more samples to study. Remember how we did it last time?" Magnani asked.
The boy nodded. "It hurt a little, but then that went away. What are you looking for?"
Simpson stepped closer. "We think you may have some kind of parasite living just under your skin."
"Yuck. Can you get it out?"
"First we have to find out what it is. Then we change your treatment based on what we find."
"Okay." Jacob clutched the blanket in one hand and squeezed his eyes shut as they took their samples.
"All done." Magnani smiled at him. "We'll come back later and tell you what we find."
"Will you have pictures? I wanna see what it looks like." He'd obviously gotten over the thought that parasites are yucky.
They laughed, and Simpson said, "Sure thing."
HHH
House stopped for breakfast before he left to pick up Pete at the hospital. "He won't be discharged for a while anyway," he told the few people who showed up at the diner that morning.
Hadley, Anita, Wilson and Jessica smirked.
"I don't know where the team is," Hadley said. "No one told me what they're up to."
"You'll find out soon enough." Cameron frowned. "I hope they've come up with a diagnosis for Jacob."
"Naomi must be very worried," Jessica said. "Once he's well again, I'd like to offer them one of the kittens."
"Haven't you found homes for all of them yet?" Cameron was surprised.
"Mrs. McClelland gets one, we get one and Remy and Anita do too. The team has been too busy to pick theirs out, and once the house is occupied, Tabby can be returned there. That leaves two more."
"Oh." Cameron's face had a thoughtful look.
House noticed. "It's one thing having Tabby wandering in and out of my office during the day, not to mention everyone else's kittens. We are not taking one of them for our home."
Cameron sighed. "You're probably right."
"Why not?" Wilson asked.
"Because we'd have to feed it and play with it."
"So?" Wilson dared. "What's wrong with that?"
"Don't encourage Cameron." House frowned.
She opened her mouth as if to object, but closed it quickly.
"At least come by and see them," Jessica said. "They're so cute."
"Cute is overrated."
HHH
After breakfast, Cameron walked over to the clinic. She didn't expect to see Naomi there, but was surprised that Naomi's chair was filled by its former occupant.
"Naomi called me because she felt bad that she couldn't come here today," Carol said. Baby Bryan was asleep in a child carrier on one side of the desk. "I sure hope Jacob recovers soon."
"Thanks for coming in." Cameron reached down to hug her.
"No problem. As long as my bambino sleeps, I can get a lot done. When he's awake, well that's another story, but we'll deal with it when the time comes."
"He's cuter than ever." Cameron brushed a hair off the baby's forehead.
"Thanks. I figure I can take this time to get back into the groove for when I return full-time." She shifted a few files on her desk. "I guess Naomi will work for Dr. House's new practice."
"That's the plan."
Carol looked around the room. "Looks like she's done a great job keeping up here."
"Yes. She took everything you taught her to heart."
Their conversation was interrupted by the first patient of the day, a toddler with his mother. "He's crying for no apparent reason and hitting the sides of his head," his frazzled mother said.
"Bring him inside. I'll look at his ears."
HHH
"Have you found homes for all the kittens?" Dr. Carter asked Jess when she arrived at the veterinary clinic.
"Most of them. I've had suggestions of other people who might take one, but haven't talked to them yet." She smiled at him. "You wouldn't want one, would you?" He already had two dogs and three cats at home.
"I'm full up. I hate to have to take animals to a shelter or stand in front of Attlee's asking shoppers to take one." He was referring to the grocery store in Shelby.
"I'll find homes for all of them, hopefully by the end of the day."
They called their first two patients, a dog and a bunny.
HHH
Cameron had already finished with her first three patients when Anna walked through the doorway.
"Anna, is something wrong?"
"No, I just came by to remind you that this evening you and the other candidates will be debating the extension of the streetlights along Harbor Road."
"Since my new home is all the way out on the road, I might have to recuse myself from participating. Is that the right word, recuse?"
Anna nodded. "Others living along the road but closer to the center of the town will be there to hear what you all have to say. They may look on you as someone who can argue their case."
"Which is?" Cameron narrowed her eyes.
"That the lights are needed for safety. You heard about the hooligans who vandalized businesses in town?"
"Yes. House's new office was damaged, and our friend Jess was attacked because she was there at the time." Cameron patted Anna hand. "The vandals were caught by Chief Anderson's newest recruit and House."
"Oh, I hadn't heard that." Anna smiled. "That's wonderful, but it doesn't change the fact that people need those lights to feel safe. It's a good effort to get behind."
Cameron offered her an empty patient seat and sat as well. "And what does the opposition, whoever they are, say?"
"That we've never had light pollution in Shelby and they don't want to start now. Allison, you and House will be living out along that road soon, not another house around. Don't you want street lights?"
"Long as they don't shine in my bedroom window." She chuckled. "That was a joke. There's plenty of light out there at night from the nearby factory and even the pier. But I get your argument."
"Good. So you'll be there?"
"Where is it? What time?" Cameron grabbed a prescription pad and wrote the information down, thinking she'd have to let House know.
HHH
House arrived in Pete's room in time to see him flirting with his nurse. She turned to House and asked, "Are you his ride?"
He smiled and crossed his arms. "Yeah, but don't let me stop what's going on here." He leaned against the wall nearest the door.
"I wuz jes' tellin' Mollie here, maybe she'd wanna come to Shelby and work fer you." Pete turned to the nurse with a smile. "This here's the doc I tol' you about."
Mollie smiled at House. "We're just shooting the breeze and waiting for the last instructions from the doctor." She was middle-aged, slim and attractive. "Didn't you used to work here? Weren't you happy with Mercy? I like it here."
House surprised himself by replying. "Working here was great, but I've never worked for myself and thought I'd give it a try."
A doctor House recognized as Sid Layton breezed into the room and handed papers to Pete. "Here are your instructions. "Now, I know you needn't be told to get exercise. You're fit for a man in his early eighties, but you have to watch the fats and carbs, got it?"
"What, like potatoes?"
"There's a list in your instructions." Layton pointed.
"You can give it to Linda," House said. "That way Mo can adjust your food."
Pete nodded. "You goin' on this diet thing with me?"
"It isn't so much of a diet as a way of eating, a way of life," the other doctor explained.
House watched, resting both hands on his cane. "What he means is this is how you'll have to eat the rest of your life."
"Well, if'n Mo can make it taste good, I don't care." Pete started to scoot off the bed.
"Wo, there, pardner," House said. "They have to bring a wheelchair for you."
"Sez who?" Pete sneered.
"Hospital rules, I'm afraid."
An orderly appeared pushing a wheelchair.
"I can take it from here." House hung his cane on the chair and moved it closer to the bed. Dr. Layton helped Pete into the seat. House grabbed the release forms and wheeled Pete out. "Time to make our escape." He sped through the hospital holding onto the wheelchair as much as pushing it.
HHH
Foreman searched for Hadley in her office, but she wasn't there. Her team wasn't either. Then he remembered. They had a patient in pediatrics. On his way up in the elevator he tried to remember the kid's name. "Jacob, right." He smiled, got out and went directly to the nurse's station. A group chatted behind the desk.
"I hate to disturb you," he said, disturbing them. "but can someone point me to Jacob's room?"
They stared at him, the black skin and the white coat. One smiled scornfully. "He sure has a lot of doctors visiting. Or are you another consultant?"
Another one was skeptical, "I haven't seen you around here before. What department are you in?"
"Room number please," Foreman demanded.
Finally, the slimmest and youngest-looking of them led him to the door then returned to her friends. Inside, the team members were discussing their findings with Hadley and another female doctor.
Hadley turned to him. "Foreman, no need for a neurologist."
"I was looking for you. Got a minute?" He indicated the door with his head.
She looked upward and grimaced. "Excuse me. I'll be right back." She followed Foreman out and faced him in the hallway. "What is it?"
"Cuddy wants me to offer you a job at PPTH when it reopens. I told her, you'd say know."
"And that's exactly what I said yesterday and will continue to say." Hadley crossed her arms.
He held up his hands. "Hey, I'm just the messenger."
"How can you work for that woman?" she asked. "Tell her I have a life here and won't leave it. I have a great position at this hospital and people I care about and who care about me."
He smiled. "I've met your new love. She seems great."
"You sound surprised. Don't be."
He ran a hand over his hair, even though it was too short to need it. "Sorry, that didn't come out right. I meant I'm happy for you."
The other doctor came out of the room and said, "Dr. Hadley, we need you in here." She gave Foreman a withering look.
Hadley reentered Jacob's room to find his temperature had risen again.
"The meds we're giving him aren't working," Magnani said.
"So, it's not a parasite."
Jacobs shook her head. "Or, at least not the one the parasitic medication targets."
"Try one more. If that doesn't work, we're back to square one."
Foreman stood in the doorway watching Hadley at work, then turn and left.
HHH
Wilson stopped in Nora's room between patients. He enjoyed talking to her. "How is your morning going?"
She smiled. "Better now that you're here. You can't imagine how boring it can get confined to a bed twenty-four/seven."
"Oh, I know from experience." He moved a chair close to her bed and sat. "Remember, I had surgery not long ago after I was injured in an explosion. Weeks in the hospital and with restricted action got to me after a while."
"Was your girlfriend there?" Nora asked.
"Jess? She was wonderful letting me pace myself, but patience was never my strong suit."
Nora smoothed her blanket. "I imagine I'll be bedridden for months more."
"I understand they're planning the neurosurgery for next week. What did Dr. Foreman tell you when he was here?"
"Yes, that's what he said. He has to return to New Jersey, but he'll be back Wednesday, I believe, and he and my doctor will perform the surgery Thursday morning."
"After that it's all uphill. Nora, if there's anything I can do to make this more pleasant for … you know, I think there is. House told me about a garden or something?" He narrowed his eyes.
"Yes, on the fourth floor. It's a place they take chronic patients to get fresh air."
"Then that's where I'll take you. Every afternoon at three-thirty."
